Links to cool places or things.
There are 1,524 posts filed in Check It Out (this is page 77 of 153).
An N.C. State student demonstrates a Crooke’s Tube at Conn Elementary
Multiple stations were set up around the school cafeteria where Conn’s students could perform experiments and learn more about science and engineering. I took Travis and Kelly volunteered. We all had a blast!
Symphony rehearsal
One of the highlights of the performance was the pianist, Irina_Zahharenkova. She is a phenomenal pianist, memorizing the music so completely that she could know what to play when the conductor asked to start again at measure 415. She also has 8 fingers on each hand, which is the key to her playing. Ok, I made that part up but she can sure play like she has extra fingers!
I hoped to ride Hallie’s bus the five blocks to the concert hall but the seating arrangements made it unworkable. I opted to let her hang with her friends at the hall, too. With that many kids it was tough finding one-on-one time with her. Even so, we compared notes (ha!) afterward and agreed it was good to have gone.
This kid’s got chops. I love how nonchalant he remains.
Fisher and his dad waited four hours to nab seats in the front row at the Midland Theatre. And then during the concert, Fisher suddenly graduated from his spot in School of Rock in Millard, Neb. to center stage at a big-time rock ‘n’ roll show, WOWT-TV in Omaha reported.Steel Panther called him up on stage.The band asked Fisher if he was nervous. In front of thousands of fans, he said no — and with that launched into “Eruption,” the iconic electric guitar instrumental by legendary six-string master Eddie Van Halen.Not more than a few seconds into the flurry of notes the Steel Panther guys were visibly impressed…
A critical (and much-needed) look at TED.
Instead of dumbing-down the future, we need to raise the level of general understanding to the level of complexity of the systems in which we are embedded and which are embedded in us. This is not about “personal stories of inspiration,” it’s about the difficult and uncertain work of demystification and reconceptualisation: the hard stuff that really changes how we think. More Copernicus, less Tony Robbins.
Keep calm and carry on “innovating” … is that the real message of TED? To me that’s not inspirational, it’s cynical.
via We need to talk about TED | Benjamin Bratton | Comment is free | theguardian.com.
Cory at BoingBoing puts it best:
Sunday’s Snowden leaks detailing the Tailored Access Operations group — the NSA’s exploit-farming, computer-attacking “plumbers” — and the ANT’s catalog of attacks on common computer equipment and software — were accompanied by a lecture by Jacob Appelbaum at the 30th Chaos Communications Congress. I have seen Jake speak many times, but this talk is extraordinary, even by his standards, and should by watched by anyone who’s said, “Well, they’re probably not spying on me, personally;” or “What’s the big deal about spies figuring out how to attack computers used by bad guys?” or “It’s OK if spies discover back-doors and keep them secret, because no one else will ever find them.”
Also, see Der Spiegel’s sidebar feature for a look at the source documents.
I’m late to the Bitcoin party so this is probably already out of my reach, but this is fascinating stuff from a geek point of view.
With the price of bitcoins skyrocketing, mining is suddenly big business, so enticingly big that one wannabe miner was willing to pay a 1,333 percent premium to get his or her foot in the door of this wildly lucrative bitcoin bonanza. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the bitcoin gold rush.The craziest part? This wasn’t an auction for a physical, working, ready-to-ship bitcoin mining machine from Avalon, which claims to be the first to develop turnkey, bitcoin-specific mining computers for sale. For $20,600 bidding started at a reasonable $500, the lucky winner only received a place in line and the promise that an actual pre-ordered miner will be delivered sometime next month. If that sounds ridiculous, well, it’s because it quite possibly is.
But clearly there are bitcoin-savvy folks betting that paying 13 times the price of a machine will actually pay off. How did we arrive at this maniacal juncture? Was it greed? Stupidity? Or simple mathematics? For the full story, we’ll have to start from the top.
After leaving my small town upbringing, I learned that libertarians are made for lots of reasons, like reading the bad fiction of Ayn Rand or perhaps the passable writing of Robert Heinlein. In my experience, most seemed to be poor, white and undereducated. They were contortionists, justifying the excesses of the capitalist elite, despite being victims if libertarian politics succeed.
If you think that selfishness and cruelty are fantastic personal traits, you might be a libertarian. In the movement no one will ever call you an asshole, but rather, say you believe in radical individualism.
via Why I fled libertarianism — and became a liberal – Salon.com.
Germany’s Der Spiegel claims the NSA’s TAO unit routinely intercepts computer and electronic shipments of targets and surreptitiously plants listening devices and/or backdoors in them.
One of the two main buildings at the former plant has since housed a sophisticated NSA unit, one that has benefited the most from this expansion and has grown the fastest in recent years — the Office of Tailored Access Operations, or TAO. This is the NSA’s top operative unit — something like a squad of plumbers that can be called in when normal access to a target is blocked.
According to internal NSA documents viewed by SPIEGEL, these on-call digital plumbers are involved in many sensitive operations conducted by American intelligence agencies. TAO’s area of operations ranges from counterterrorism to cyber attacks to traditional espionage. The documents reveal just how diversified the tools at TAO’s disposal have become — and also how it exploits the technical weaknesses of the IT industry, from Microsoft to Cisco and Huawei, to carry out its discreet and efficient attacks.
via The NSA Uses Powerful Toolbox in Effort to Spy on Global Networks – SPIEGEL ONLINE.
Whoopsie. Methinks His Honor didn’t want to let a little thing like basic research interrupt his holiday celebrations.
In a new decision in support of the NSA’s phone metadata surveillance program, U.S. district court Judge William Pauley cites an intelligence failure involving the agency in the lead-up to the 9/11 attacks. But the judge’s cited source, the 9/11 Commission Report, doesn’t actually include the account he gives in the ruling. What’s more, experts say the NSA could have avoided the pre-9/11 failure even without the metadata surveillance program.
via Judge on NSA Case Cites 9/11 Report, But It Doesn’t Actually Support His Ruling – ProPublica.
Once again we’re reminded that there is no such thing as reality TV. This show is manufactured, just like the Phil Robertson controversy. Way to be played, America.
Fake Dynasty
Sources close to the show have time and time again leaked details that the show is literally scripted. Because of non-disclosure agreements, cameramen, and others who wish to go public with this information have proven unable to do so. As a result, without a name attached to such leaked information, many of these claims of inauthenticity are seen as lacking credibility.
But as the saying goes, “a picture is worth a thousand words.” One thing that the so-called “Duck Dynasty” family cannot deny are family pictures taken before their fabricated “reality” show was scripted for them. These pictures all showcase a family devoid of backwoods attire: no camouflage, no face paint, no headbands, and no beards.
via How A Wealthy, Clean-Cut ‘Duck Dynasty’ Tricked The World For Publicity : Political Blind Spot.
